What did the movies do for you?

[Boromir88]

This is kind of one of those reflective discussions, on what the movies did for you? Or perhaps what lessons/morals you learned from them? Did they serve as entertainment, seeing large scale battles or the story unfold between your eyes?

Well, for me personally, you might say it restored my passion for LOTR. This is probably the biggest reason why I have loved the movies so much. I had first read the books when I was younger (still in highschool), my dad got me 'em for Christmas and my birthday. I read them, and like most other books I read...read them once and stuck them on this wooden shelf that I had made. Of course, they passed out of all knowledge into I hear there are movies made on them.

I get the new edition that came out with all three books combined in one and read them over again...and now I'm sure you can all see the rest of the story? Basically, I got hooked. It got me wondering whether other people had a "restored love" for the books when the movies came out or not? Or perhaps it got you to read and experience JRR Tolkien's books?

Then there's what did you learn from the movies? This comes from my recently viewing Kingdom of Heaven, which besides the lack of a leading actor (:cough:Orlando Bloom:cough, was a pretty good movie that had important lessons behind it. (I don't wish to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it). So, that got me thinking of what did you learn from the movies? Was it something that's similar to what Tolkien's morals were that even the smallest people can change the course of the world? Or did they get you to understand the books better?

Because, when I first read the books, and read them after learning about the movies, or even watched the movies Boromir really wasn't my favorite character. I was a Gandalf/Gimli guy. Then Boromir (and the wonderful performance by Sean Bean), kind of grew on me and I began to notice all these other reasons why to like Boromir then just for his fault in being tempted by the Ring.

So, again...what did the movies do for you? What did you learn, any important lessons? How did it help you understand the book better? All that reflective stuff that we all love.

[Morsul the Dark]

I read the Hobbit about 8 years ago...Good book

then forgot about Tolkien saw the Fellowship because of one simple Line

Gandalf "It wants to be found" I had to see the movie anyway watching it Im like the whole movie...Bilbo? why do I know that name as soon as I left i remembered been hooked since read the books once and the first 4 chapter about 70(i keep trying to read the books again but theyre so long)

anyway....I use lessons from LOTR all the time its all i do is preach the word as told by tolkien

[Bergil]

the movies dispelled my terrible pre-film mental imiges. I'd been trying unsuccesfully to do that each time I read the book since I formed them.

Edit: don't laugh, but I also didn't realise that they fought in Helms Deep City (as opossed to in the canyon on the way there untill I saw the film.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

The movies . . . well, it's difficult to say what they did. I think they put Tolkien's world onto the screen. Yes, there were lots of changes, some minor, some major, but in the final analysis, it's just Lord of the Rings. You know?

As far as what they did for me on an emotional level, Sam's "There's some good in this world" line totally inspired me. I'm not a person who cries, at movies or at most anything else, but I wanted to cry in ROTK when Aragorn and the Gondorians bow to the hobbits and Howard Shore has the Shire theme going. It was beautiful. For all the complaints we have about the dumb jokes and inappropriate humor in the movies, in the end I think watching them is an emotional experience. It's majestic, it's glorious, it's wrenching, it's epic. It doesn't touch the book, but it's still an unbelievable accomplishment.

It's also difficult to put into words what these films have been to the film industry. I mean, you've got Hollywood churning out dumb flick after dumb flick, and even most of the serious ones aren't great, and then you've got something like this. Three three-hour films, no language or sex, and they're all telling this incredible epic story. What PJ and Co. did was audacious, really. And as we all know, these are three of the most successful films ever. And even though Hollywood continues to pump up the same trash, there have been a few bright spots since then. People are realizing, hey, you can make a good film, with a good message, without all the immorality.

And, shameless plug. If you want to see the biggest beneficiary of the LOTR phenomenon, show up at the theater on December 9 for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Yeah baby. Movies based on books by Oxford dons are the hottest thing on the market right now.

[Ellewen]

Corny as this may sound it changed my life... It got me interested in fantasy, it got me into archery where I have met the best friends I could ever ask for. They also got me started on my own "carreer" as an author. It has done more for me than I can put into words, that is all I can really say.

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

For me, the movies were a completely new experience. I was nearly 14 when the first movie came out, and while I was an avid fantasy reader, LOTR was my first brush with this type of movie (and the only fantasy movie since that I have enjoyed).

I'd already read the books, so it was great to see them put onscreen. I did have a few problems here and there, but over all, I came away pleased from every single one.

There was something more important...At one point, I remember walking up the stairs at school, and just thinking about the movies when it hit me. I remember it so vividly because it was so important. I realized, That's what I want to do! . I wanted to be an actress. Not for fame or anything like that, but because I wanted to make people feel what I felt watching the movie. I'd known that I loved to act, but the realization that it was what I wanted to do with my life is something I attribute strongly to the LOTR movies. I'm 18 now, and still chasing that dream as I head towards college next year.

Originally Posted by Elladan and Elrohir

As far as what they did for me on an emotional level, Sam's "There's some good in this world" line totally inspired me. I'm not a person who cries, at movies or at most anything else, but I wanted to cry in ROTK when Aragorn and the Gondorians bow to the hobbits and Howard Shore has the Shire theme going. It was beautiful. For all the complaints we have about the dumb jokes and inappropriate humor in the movies, in the end I think watching them is an emotional experience. It's majestic, it's glorious, it's wrenching, it's epic. It doesn't touch the book, but it's still an unbelievable accomplishment.

That pretty much summed up what I felt, watching the movies (though I do tend to cry more frequently). It really is an achievement. Going into the theater for the first time, I had never felt the kind of sheer power that these movies have. Since then, I have seen precious few movies that have that special something. There is so much power and beauty and emotional truth in these movies that I think some people overlook because they focus on all the little things that might not be so perfect. I'm just incredibly happy with what we got: a truth to the spirit, if not to the letter, of the books.

[Nogrod]

As I have been aquinted with LotR something like 25 years, I surely had quite clear views & opinions about the whole stuff. So I was watching the films more from the perspective of "how have they seen it" or "what kind of choises have they made".

Even though I admit liking the films, I must regret, that for me, they were mainly visualizations of the story. Kind of illustrating certain parts of the whole, with some quite unhappy alterations and only a couple of good ones. As the whole LotR is so impossible to turn into a movie, I would have hoped for a little more daring or artistically more ambitious rendering of the story to a pic. But that would not have selled as well, and would not have been financed at all to begin with...

But what a visualization it was!!! I do think that PJ is right in saying, that New Zealand really is Middle Earth! And that truly has affected me, kind of taken over my mind and the visual imagination of the ME. Of course one can pick up particular cases of protest, and some casting, including a couple of very central roles, can be criticized. But really: my understanding about how the ME looks like and how it feels, has been heavily influenced by the films.

[Glirdan]

Ahh, the movies. I was first introduced to Tolkien through the books, so, you might say that it did quite a lot for me.

I was about ( I think) twelve years old, my great grandmother passed away and my aunt, uncle and cousins were up for the wake from Toronto. I don't remember why or how they were doing it, but, when we went to visit them at their hotel when they first arrived, my cousins were watching FotR and it was close to the end (when Frodo had the flash-back of the conversation with Gandalf in Moria) and I was suddenly deeply immersed in the moive. I watched with fascination at all that unfolded (even though it wasn't a lot) and I loved it. So, I have the movies to thank for my obsession of LotR and Tolkien.

As for the movies themselves, considering I watched LotR and TTT first, it didn't really do anything for me. After I read the books, however, it really made me think about everything that was added and taken out and what they changed. The Elves at Helm's Deep for instance. I must say that it was a good battle scene, but after I read the books, I was all "That didn't happen!! What the heck did they do that for!?"

So, I guess for the first two, you could say that it was purely for entertainment, until I read the books which was shortly before RotK came out. After I read RotK, I really wanted to watch the movie to see the difference. So, I guess the last movie was purely to see the content and difference of betweent the book and the movie.

Wow, I never knew that my interest started that bizzarely!! Oh well. Anyway, I guess you could say that the movies did a variety of things for me.

Originally Posted by Elladan and Elrohir

The movies . . . well, it's difficult to say what they did. I think they put Tolkien's world onto the screen. Yes, there were lots of changes, some minor, some major, but in the final analysis, it's just Lord of the Rings. You know?

As far as what they did for me on an emotional level, Sam's "There's some good in this world" line totally inspired me. I'm not a person who cries, at movies or at most anything else, but I wanted to cry in ROTK when Aragorn and the Gondorians bow to the hobbits and Howard Shore has the Shire theme going. It was beautiful. For all the complaints we have about the dumb jokes and inappropriate humor in the movies, in the end I think watching them is an emotional experience. It's majestic, it's glorious, it's wrenching, it's epic. It doesn't touch the book, but it's still an unbelievable accomplishment.

It's also difficult to put into words what these films have been to the film industry. I mean, you've got Hollywood churning out dumb flick after dumb flick, and even most of the serious ones aren't great, and then you've got something like this. Three three-hour films, no language or sex, and they're all telling this incredible epic story. What PJ and Co. did was audacious, really. And as we all know, these are three of the most successful films ever. And even though Hollywood continues to pump up the same trash, there have been a few bright spots since then. People are realizing, hey, you can make a good film, with a good message, without all the immorality.

And, shameless plug. If you want to see the biggest beneficiary of the LOTR phenomenon, show up at the theater on December 9 for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Yeah baby. Movies based on books by Oxford dons are the hottest thing on the market right now.

Spot on; especially the bit about Hollywood churning out dumb flick after dumb flick. Their most 'original' ideas right now are to create re-makes of old movies or of comic classics, and like Poseidon, most of them are pure shyte.

LOTR was as close to movie perfection as can be (and few others touch it - A Beautiful Mind is another movie that was very touching).

Also, for example, comparing Poseidon or Superman to Lord of the Rings - LOTR generally only uses CGI when it needs to, and doesn't over do it.

It gave me some hope in Hollywood again, but that's again diminished after they kept churning out crap after crap yet again.

The movies were touching though - especially Howard Shore's soundtrack, something that obviously isn't in the book - but it's as fitting a music track as I've ever seen for a movie.

[Alchisiel]

I came late in life to LOTR, I think I was 29 or 30. I didn't even know about the books until I first saw FotR. I was talking to some co-workers about the movie and they told me about the books, so I went to Barnes and Noble that same day and bought the Hobbit, a co-worker lent me her LOTR book and I now own my own set of LOTR and Hobbit books, The Silm, and Unfinished Tales. So I guess you could say that the movies brought me into the wonderful world of the books and to you great people!

I remember when I first saw Theoden's death scene-I cried my eyes out!! I've only cried at two other death scenes-Greta Garbo's death scene in Camille, and Bette Davis' death scene in Dark Victory (I'm an old movie buff). They were such good death scenes that I could feel the emotions that the actors were trying to portray. Now when I read the books, I always cry at Theoden's death even though it's different in the movie. It also made me realize that I am a Hobbit!!! I sleep late, like to eat, I enjoy a good pint, and I too have a tendancy to be round in the middle!!

[Ar-Pharazon]

For me the movies introduced me to the books, as it did for many young readers of the late teens early 20's at the time of the FOTR's release. When I read the books, and it was like the movies opened the door for me while the books were the actual stepping through into the world of middle earth and Tolkien.

The movies also gave me a lot of heroic imagery, which I just love (Especially in the men characters), makes me ponder about the lack of nobility that has been lost in this day and age.

+ Boromir's last defense of the hobbits as he continues to fight on while pierced by many arrows.
+ Aragorn stepping out from the Elvish Archers on the Helm's Deep Battlements, for the first time being the leader of the defense against the shadow, in the rain (gotta love the rebirth symbolism).
+ Gandalf's arrival with Eomer and his Rohirrim and their charge against those Uruks(this made me and a lot of people cheer in the movie theatre on opening night)
+Theoden's last charge as the King of Rohan.

Now I gotta watch them again, plus I have this nagging addiction to the Silm.

[MatthewM]

I owe my life long dedication to LotR to the movies. I've always loved fantasy. Wizards, dragons, superheroes...etc. When I was around 8-10 years old I saw Ralph Baksi's animated LotR and loved it (now it's a different story) but since then I always had an interest in LotR. When I heard that the movies were coming out, my anticipation grew. When I saw The Fellowship in theatres, I was forever hooked. I went to theatres numerous times to see the same LotR movie. Since then I have read the books (I am currently re-reading them) and have seen each movie from the trilogy countless times. My interest for The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien is here to stay. Everyday is a journey to Middle-earth in my mind!

Like Boromir88, Boromir wasn't my favorite character right away. It wasn't until after I read the books and saw the movies that Boromir really started to grow on me. Now he's the definite favorite. For many reasons, but that's going off topic. Actually, I'm going to start a new topic about this right now in the Books section.

[Parmawen]

Unfortunately, being a younger fan...I was in fifth grade when the first movie came out, and was absolutely horrified when I found out how the first movie ended. It frustrated me so much that I went home and read all three books within the next few weeks.

Thus the movies were the start of it all...and so I have a much closer affinity to them. Probably because reading the books when I was ten, I didn't fully grasp the magic of the world, while sadly when it was presented on screen it was a bit able to compute. But really, I appreciate the movies so much because at the time I'd never seen anything like it...for one there were actually girls as IMPORTANT figures in the movie, and it was a gigantic introduction to a world I had no clue existed.

Ohhh, now I feel all sappy. I think I'll have to go back and rewatch the movies for the gazillionth time.

[ninja91]

The movies are what first got me interested in Tolkien's world.

[Rikae]

In many ways, the movies were the fulfillment of a dream I carried with me for about 16 years. I'd relived the books hundreds of times n my mind, done countless drawings and paintings inspired by them, and longed to really see middle earth since I was a little girl. Amazingly there were more scenes and characters in the movies that coincided with what I had imagined than differed. Gandalf, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gollum, Eowyn & Saruman could have walked straight out of my mind, so it was immensely satisfying to actually see these "old friends". Those that didn't match my expectations, notably Aragorn & Frodo, were a bit of a disappointment but outweighed by the rest. It was a letdown not to see Tom Bombadil or the Scouring of the Shire, but ultimately I was more grateful for what was good than upset about what was not so good or absent.

[Alcarin]

Originally Posted by Rikae

In many ways, the movies were the fulfillment of a dream I carried with me for about 16 years. I'd relived the books hundreds of times n my mind, done countless drawings and paintings inspired by them, and longed to really see middle earth since I was a little girl. Amazingly there were more scenes and characters in the movies that coincided with what I had imagined than differed. Gandalf, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gollum, Eowyn & Saruman could have walked straight out of my mind, so it was immensely satisfying to actually see these "old friends". Those that didn't match my expectations, notably Aragorn & Frodo, were a bit of a disappointment but outweighed by the rest. It was a letdown not to see Tom Bombadil or the Scouring of the Shire, but ultimately I was more grateful for what was good than upset about what was not so good or absent.

U read my mind...only im a guy

The movies made X'Mas special for me, that's what they did. X'Mas for me used to be lonely and kinda depressing at times, but when LOTR came out, X'Mas was special.. and something to look forward to. *SIGH* Too bad its over

[ninja91]

Originally Posted by HelenHui

The movies made X'Mas special for me, that's what they did. X'Mas for me used to be lonely and kinda depressing at times, but when LOTR came out, X'Mas was special.. and something to look forward to. *SIGH* Too bad its over

Who said its over? Look at this forum! It has only just gotten started...

[Elladan and Elrohir]

That's right; The Hobbit is still coming, even though it may well be four or five years till we see it.

[Bêthberry]

Truth be told, Boromir, the earth didn't move for me.

[Boromir88]

Truth be told, Boromir, the earth didn't move for me.

Why does that not surprise me? Well if not the earth...how about your foundation? Or at least the tiniest blade of grass?

[Thinlómien]

The biggest thing the movies did for me was kind of not for me. ( ) More people, icluding some of my friends, got interested in the LotR too and I got more people to babble about LotR with...

[Erue]

Having read the books first (repeatedly) I was overcome with that "they will destroy this" sentiment that is so common of me and movies. (I did like Misery though).


I was also "somewhat" discouraged when I heard Sean Bean was cast for Boromir. I obssessed on that one issue, honestly.

I didn't think he was a good choice (not that anyone could have fulfilled my expectations at the time..)

Boromir, in my mind, has always been the "ideal" man.

I expected Boromir to be powerful, and all of the things that he is, but also, since childhood, in my mind the man has had just a tinge of sexy.

I didn't think Sean Bean would pull that off. But I was wrong. Very wrong.



So, what have they done for me? They caused me great fear, apprehension, then relief, and now great pleasure.

(Also, I now envision this Boromir when I read the books, and that is a good thing )


I love the movies, I think they are exceptionally well-done. They are not the books, but they are a most welcome addition to my collection.

[doug*platypus]

As much as I like to gripe about the movies, I must admit that they have done one or two things for me.

I was a longtime fan of the book well before the world knew of PJs plans to film live action versions, having already read it probably a dozen times.

After seeing TTT at the theatre, I felt an overwhelming need to talk to other Tolkien fans, to discuss and mostly to vent my frustrations! So I searched around on the internet, and without much ado found The Barrow Downs. Over the years since joining, this site has afforded me a great deal of pleasure and entertainment. The creators, moderators and administrators of this site have created a warm and friendly environment in which to discuss Tolkien's works and gain further, deeper appreciation of his fantasy realms, with a site design that has made this my favourite website by a significant margin.

The making of the movies afforded me a chance to be an Orc extra, and for three days away from university I had the absolute best time ever, playing Orc under glorious winter blue skies on the central volcanic plateau of the North Island. I still can't believe they paid me for that experience... I would have paid them!

The movies have also reaffirmed my love for the book, in that I have taken changes, omissions and additions to heart. Before TTT came out, I had no idea how attached I had become to Tolkien's written word.

One of the great things that I took away from the movies, particularly ROTK, is the heartwarming friendship between Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin. While all the elements are present in the script and no embellishment was necessary, it was quite something to see them up on the screen, portrayed by real people with real emotions coming to the forefront. I was so affected by this that when it came time for Frodo to sail west, I found myself crying in the theatre, which I have not done for any other movie (although I came close in both The Last Starfighter and Rabbit-Proof Fence). That said, I was also drawing on the very emotional last chapter of the book.

I must also mention PJs achievements as a director. Although I disagree with him on many points, I appreciate the work he did to get the movies backed, and film all three simultaneously. Having seen the props and costumes close up, I also appreciate the work that Richard Taylor and Ngila Dickson performed. Every item was so lovingly crafted! So, I guess I'm saying that the LOTR movies have given me an appreciation for the art of moviemaking in general.

[the.landlord]

Originally Posted by Elladan and Elrohir

As far as what they did for me on an emotional level, Sam's "There's some good in this world" line totally inspired me.

i loved that line, too... but one the other hand i hated the scene. i will later explain why.

and i loved something which was written on the german movie posters. i hope i can translate that right:

"despite despair people always went on... because there was something they believed in."
"but what do we believe in? what do we hold on?"
"each other"

that was so beautiful! but i think it was said neither in the book nor in the movies, just on the posters.

i also liked the fact that there was more room for the realtionship sam/rosie in the movie... reading the book i always thought: "eh? why is sam gonna marry rosie? he hardly knows her!"

the were also scenes in the movie i really disdained... for example frodo offering the ring to the nazgul. frodo (book frodo) never would have done that.... and by the way it is not really logical. if frodo allready offered the ring to the nazgul... why the heck does sauron still not know where it is?

... and i do not like the fact that frodo and sam never touch in the movies. still the same scene. frodo wants to kill sam... after that he lies on the ground and is devasted... and what does sam do? does he hug him or try to comfort him? no, he holds a speach! to my mind book sam would not have done that.

[the.landlord]

i just saw, that i sort of missed the point. you were talking about moralic lessons.
well, i learned my moralic lessons allready from the books. i learned about the worth of friendship and about love for nature.
i valued friendship before and loved nature before... but because of the book those things may have become even a little bit more important for me.

[ArathorofBarahir]

I think that the movies served as an added experience. They were just another way to enjoy Tolkien's work. The movies were a visual interpretation of the books and were amazing.

[Knight of Gondor]

For my part, the movies actually sparked my reading of the books. I'd already read Narnia at a young age, but I don't know how knowledge of Tolkien's books escaped me until the movie scuttlebutt came about.

I quickly immersed myself, and have since become a fan of both.

I think the movies reinvigorated a new generation to be interested, and obviously the interest had other implications. (IE, the Narnia and Harry Potter movies.)

As for their usefulness to the books, I think the movies helped fill out the books. I know there were additions, subtractions and omissions that bothered Tolkien purists, but I immensely enjoyed seeing the events unfold on the screen. I don't think the movies limited the imagination at all. The tenor of the book differs enough from the movie so that, while you can draw comparisons between book and movie, or imagine certain scenes according to Peter Jackson, I can still imagine independently.

[mark12_30]

The movies landed me on the Downs. Heh. Made some good friends, wrote some books, played some games.

Ain't been quite the same since.

[The Might]

the films definitely increased my interest in LOTR, and probably where the main reasons why I joined some sites
If there would have been no movies LOTR would have probably remained a nice book, but nothing more, and I doubt I would have ever been interested in more in-depth subjects if the movies hadn't been created

they also helped me picture myself the characters better, and except a few not portrayed in the movies I tend to imagine the characters in the books as those in the movies...it isn't easy to do it else

Originally Posted by ninja91

Who said its over? Look at this forum! It has only just gotten started...

Over, LOL. It's been, well, let's just say since the 60s since I first read (and re-read, & learned the Tengwar, & etc etc etc) these books. ALL of these books, of course, not just LOTR. I'm thinking there will be Tolkien forums when all of us are dead and buried.

I love these films. I know Jackson took liberties. I wish he'd used more of the songs from LOTR - he did at least used Tolkien's Road goes Ever On I could have done without the opera-cloaked elves at Helm's Deep (couldn't we have had the Rangers? ) And of course I would have loved for each film to have been 6 hours long each so all the stuff could have been included...LOL

But these were films. Think of it as a mythological body of works that Tolkien chronicled, instead of 'this way & only this way' This is easier to do after reading the Lost Tales and the Silmarillion (talk about variations on a theme - it is VERY much like reading all the different versions of Greek myths). Jackson made the actual PLACE come alive, then did his own slightly different take on the myths.
That's how I look at the films - and therefor I can love them entirely, sob my way thru them (yes, I do, my children call me a geek, ~sigh~) and still read and adore Tolkien himself.

BB
Teleri

[Lotrelf]

The thing movies did to me was introducing me to Professor Tolkien's world and work. I'd liked the movies, cast, sets, and everything. Watching the films was a good experience to me, though I didn't watch ROTK PROPERLY until now (I think last month).

[Inziladun]

Well, I can honestly say that PJ's films did at least achieve the effect of heightening my appreciation of the books. Every time I go through a re-read of LOTR, Tolkien's characterizations and singularly effective verbiage shine all the more, especially when I think of lines like 'even the smallest person can change the course of the future.'

[Snowdog]

The PJ movies did this for me...
Due to their making, and the rumor and speculation of their making, I had a curiousity about them. I had read Lord of the Rings in the mid-70's and re-read them several times before I first heard of the movie production in 1999. Having gone 'online' to find out more, I was led to this, and some other Tolkien-based sites. On one of them I "met" someone in 2001 who was quite the flame. I met her later in person when she came to see Return of the King at a 'Trilogy Tuesday' marathon at its release in December 2003, and well, the rest just fell into place. Married the love of my life nearly 7 years ago, and all is right in the world. As for the movies, they stink, but were the catalyst that set this relationship in motion.

[Lotrelf]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

The PJ movies did this for me...
Due to their making, and the rumor and speculation of their making, I had a curiousity about them. I had read Lord of the Rings in the mid-70's and re-read them several times before I first heard of the movie production in 1999. Having gone 'online' to find out more, I was led to this, and some other Tolkien-based sites. On one of them I "met" someone in 2001 who was quite the flame. I met her later in person when she came to see Return of the King at a 'Trilogy Tuesday' marathon at its release in December 2003, and well, the rest just fell into place. Married the love of my life nearly 7 years ago, and all is right in the world. As for the movies, they stink, but were the catalyst that set this relationship in motion.

My reaction was the silly "awww" at this. (though I personally find this "awww" thingy silly, so I tried to sound it like Minions' at the end of Despicable Me1). Your story is really sweet.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

The PJ movies did this for me...
Due to their making, and the rumor and speculation of their making, I had a curiousity about them. I had read Lord of the Rings in the mid-70's and re-read them several times before I first heard of the movie production in 1999. Having gone 'online' to find out more, I was led to this, and some other Tolkien-based sites. On one of them I "met" someone in 2001 who was quite the flame. I met her later in person when she came to see Return of the King at a 'Trilogy Tuesday' marathon at its release in December 2003, and well, the rest just fell into place. Married the love of my life nearly 7 years ago, and all is right in the world. As for the movies, they stink, but were the catalyst that set this relationship in motion.

Without question, a very blessed result of PJ's machinations. So he's Gollum, then, doing good he did not intend.

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Without question, a very blessed result of PJ's machinations. So he's Gollum, then, doing good he did not intend.

Lol, yeah, something like that. But it could have been anyone making LotR movies. The Trilogy Tuesday was quite fun, with costuming and the bar across from the theatre where we would go for brews and shots between movies...

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

Lol, yeah, something like that. But it could have been anyone making LotR movies. The Trilogy Tuesday was quite fun, with costuming and the bar across from the theatre where we would go for brews and shots between movies...

Heh, I saw FOTR with my future wife, but having had a large dinner with two or three "tall" Samuel Adams Lagers beforehand, I slept through about half of it.

[Faramir Jones]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

The PJ movies did this for me...I met her later in person when she came to see Return of the King at a 'Trilogy Tuesday' marathon at its release in December 2003, and well, the rest just fell into place. Married the love of my life nearly 7 years ago, and all is right in the world. As for the movies, they stink, but were the catalyst that set this relationship in motion.

I'm very glad to read that they had such a beneficial effect for you and her, Snowdog.

For me, their effect has been very little, though I give the first (and best) one credit for helping me decide to join the Tolkien Society in 2002, starting my involvement with other Tolkien fans.

[FerniesApple]

What do these movies do for me?
The Hobbit movies give me a headache, almost as big as when I try to read this green font on black background. I cant read for more than a minute without a migraine, pity I was looking forward to some good discussions.